Sick bed apparatus



1960 DE WlTT RAMSEY 2,959,791

SICK BED APPARATUS Original Filed Sept. 30. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w 1! Eu INVENTOR. 0e W/7'7 RAMSEY BY R/ch'e'r wnrrs, EDGERTO/V, MSNEA/N Y A} FA RR/NG raw.

' ATTQRMJEKS.

Nov. 15, 1960 DE WlTT RAMSEY 7 2,959,791

SICK BED APPARATUS Original Filed Sept. 50, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' D m-mumfi 60d INVENTOR. 0e W/TT FAA/5E) BY i'F/CHEY, WA rrs, EDGERTO/V,

J I ATTORNEYS United States Patent SICK BED APPARATUS De Witt Ramsey, P.0. Box 2293, Miami 14, Fla.

Original application Sept. 30, 1954, Ser. No. 459,292,

now Patent No. 2,854,673, dated Oct. 7, 1958. Divided and this application May '26, 1958, Ser. No. 737,592

4 Claims. (Cl. --86) This invention relates generally to the art of handling patients in sickrooms and is particularly concerned with new apparatus for lifting, turning and transferring patients to and from a sick bed.

Many efforts have been made heretofore by workers in the art over a long period of time to devise apparatus by which one person could easily handle a patient who is unable to move about unaided. Some of the apparatus proposed was for lifting and lowering patients, others were for turning a patient while still others were for transferring a patient to or from a bed. However, each of these different classes of prior devices with which I am familiar has one or more serious drawbacks and disadvantages and none is what might be called universal apparatus, i.e., one which is capable of performing all these necessary services. So far as I know, no apparatus had ever been proposed, prior to the present invention, which could be used in the home as well as in the hospital, i.e., none of the prior proposed devices was sufli'ciently simple, compact and easily manipulated for use in the limited space available in a residence as well as in the larger spaces available in the hospital.

The present invention aims to provide a universal apparatus which can be used effectively in various places such as in a bedroom at home, in a private room in a hospital and in a hospital ward; which can be operated by one person with the exertion of but little energy even when the patient, with or without heavy casts and the like,

may weigh several hundred pounds; and which, when not in use, may be stored in a relatively small amount of space remote from the patients bed.

These aims are achieved by the present invention which is embodied in a new combination of elements wherein the elements cooperate to produce a new and valuable result beyond that attainable by the same elements acting separately. The present invention will be better understood by those skilled in the art from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the frame provided with fixed arms and mechanism for rolling or turning a patient over;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the frame of Fig. 1 taken from the opposite side thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view showing the hydraulic lift of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the roll turning, tape winding apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, side elevational view showing details of the arrangement of parts of the carriage, its rollers and the carriage guide;

Figs. 9 and 10 are, respectively, top plan views of the upper and lower sets of rollers on the carriage; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, horizontal view, partly in section, taken on line 1111 of Fig. 1.

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the frame, designated generallyby A, consists of a horizontal U- shaped base 1 provided with wheels 2 and casters 3 so that the apparatus may be moved about easily. Braces 4 and 5 are connected to each other and to the U-shaped base adjacent to the casters 3, i.e., remote from the free ends of the U-shaped base.

The frame also includes a carriage guide which consists of two parallel uprights 6 which are attached to the base above casters 3, are connected together in their upper ends by top rail 7 and are braced by braces 8 extending from the tops of the uprights to the frame adjacent to brace 5. Preferably, these uprights, as well as the base 1 and braces 4,5 and 8 are made of tubing.

Carriage 9 consists of parallel horizontal plates 10 and vertical plates 11 connected as by welding to form a rectangle. Each horizontal plate 10 carries near each end a roller assembly consisting of rollers 12 and 13 mounted in plates 14 Welded to plates 10. The plates 14 of each roller assembly are disposed on opposite sides of the adjacent upright 6 with the rollers engaging opposite sides of the upright. Preferably the rollers engaging one upright 6 are reversely arranged, i.e., as shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the larger rollers 12 in the upper assemblies engage one side of uprights 6 while rollers 12 in the lower assemblies engage the opposite sides of the uprights. This arrangement of large and small rollers avoids flattening or crushing of the uprights and gives a rigid, easy operating carriage when loaded, a fact which gives confidence to the patient.

Means for moving the carriage 9 vertically in the guide, as shown (see Fig. 3), comprises a hydraulic lift 15. This lift includes a rod 16 fastened at its lower end to brace 4, a tube 17 surrounding rod 16 and attached to the lower horizontal plate 10 of carriage 9, a fluid reservoir 18 at the upper end of tube 17 and a lever 19 to actuate a piston 20 in reservoir 18 and thereby force liquid into tube 17 with resultant upward movement of carriage 9. When piston 20 is moved inwardly, air is forced up into reservoir 18, and when the piston is retracted, the air pressure in reservoir 18 forces liquid down into tube 17 with resultant upward movement of tube 17 and carriage 9. 'When the carriage is to be lowered a needle valve 22 is retracted to permit liquid to flow through passage 21 from tube 17 below plug 23 into reservoir 18 above the plug.

Any readily operated means for raising and lowering the carriage may be substituted for the apparatus just de scribed.

In Fig. 1 the frame A has a cantilever type support 40. This support consists of two parallel, vertical columns 41, horizontal arms 42, curved braces 43 secured to the columns and arms and a cross bar 44 connecting the arms 42 together. Preferably each column 41 consists of two flat parallel plates 41a (see Fig. 11) between which the ends of arms 42 and braces 43 are positioned and welded in place. Also, plates 41b are welded between plates 41a to fit between each pair of ears 28 and have holes 41c.

' The columns 41 are secured to the carriage 9 by pins which extend through each pair of ears 28 and the plate 41b therebetween. A cross member 45 is attached to arms 42 between braces 43 and columns 41 by hangers 46. Guards 48 depend from columns 41 to prevent engagement of the lowerends of columns 41 with a bed or other furniture or objects when the carriage is being lowered. The arms 42, braces 43, cross bar 44 and cross member 45 are preferably tub'es.

In Fig. 1 the support 40 is shown as being equipped with means for turning or rolling a patient. This means includes a pair of spaced apart, parallel tubes 50 which are attached to arms 42 by hangers 51. Roller supporting hangers 52 depend from the ends of tubes 50 and support tubes or rollers 53 onto which the ends of a long broad tape 54 are attached. The rollers 53 are rotatably mounted in hangers 52. As is better shown in Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, each tube 53 is provided with a longitudinally extending locking bar 53a spaced apart from the roll to receive an elongated tape 54. Each tube 53 carries a cross pin 55 near its ends. A tubular plug 56 having slots to receive pin 55 is positioned in one end of each tube 53. A tie plate 57 surrounds and extends between plugs 56, is spaced from the ends of tubes 53 by a collar 58 and is held in place by sprockets 59 which are screwed onto, or otherwise suitably fixed to, plugs 56. Crank 59a is secured to one sprocket 59 as by a bolt 60 and serves to rotate that sprocket and turn its roller and also to drive chain 60a and thereby rotate the other sprocket and roller.

The apparatus of Fig. 1 may be operated substantially as follows: The tape 54 is placed under the patient at the desired place. The tape should extend approximately six inches beyond one edge of the bed and should be approximately 30 inches longer on the other side of the bed. Then the apparatus is brought to the bed and support 40 is lowered until the rollers 53 are just above the patient or approximately 12 inches above the bed. The rollers 53 are turned until the locking bars 53a are on the underside.

The short end of the tape is inserted between the bar 53a and roller 53 and is pulled through approximately six inches, then the roller 53 is turned inward at the top until all slack has been taken up which should give at least two complete turns of the tape on the roller 53. The other end of the tape is similarly secured to the other roller 53 which will have about seven turns of tape on the roller. When all slack has been taken up, the roller rotating means is assembled with the rollers, as may be done by inserting plugs 56 in the ends of rollers 53 with pins 55 extending through the slots in the plugs, as shown in Figs. 4 to 7, with the crank 59a being positioned at the roller having the short end of the tape. This locks the rollers against turning except when the crank is rotated. Then the support-40 is raised to lift the patient from the bed, after which the crank may be rotated to turn the patient away from the short end of the tape and its roller. The patient may be turned back simply by reversing the rotation of crank 59a. After the patient has been lowered onto the bed, the tape may be removed from rollers 53 and the apparatus wheeled away from the bed.

Another important feature and use of the turning rig is to move the patient lengthwise on the bed. This is accomplished by suspending the patient clear of the bed and then sliding roller support bars 50 lengthwise through hangers 51.

It will be noted that the frame A may be moved close to the bed without interfering with any parts of the latter. This is due to the fact that the base 1 is positioned close to the floor and is supported on rollers which do not engage any parts of the bed; and is also due to the fact that the arms 42 can be elevated to a level above the bed and moved thereacross.

It will be noted that in the above described modification of the invention the apparatus may be moved readily about from place to place on its rollers and casters; that by extending underneath and above the patient-supporting part of the bed it does not interfere with any parts of the bed and yet the patient-supporting attachments may reach the patient whether he be on one side or the other of the bed. The base of the frame A may extend under the bed and be perpendicular to the side of the bed while the patient-handling attach,-

ment is similarly positioned relative to the bed and while the carriage guide is parallel to the side of the bed. Since the legs of the base are not too far apart the apparatus can be placed in many different positions between the ends of the bed. Thus a patient may be reached and handled in any position on the bed. Since the arms 42 extend longitudinally of the legs of base 1 and are closer together than those legs, the center of gravity of the weight carried by the apparatus is between those legs and as a result the apparatus is stable and not subject to tipping or overturning. Also, the weight is distributed more or less equally over all the wheels and casters.

When the apparatus is not in use, it may be stored without difiiculty because chairs and the like may be placed between the legs of the base and the patient supports may be raised to clear the chairs. The hydraulic lifter makes it possible to raise and lower a patient with the exertion of but little energy on the part of the attendant and the task of turning or rolling a patient and of changing the bed linen and even of transporting a patient from bed to chair and vice versa or from one bed to another can all be performed by one person and with but little effort.

While the herein illustrated modifications of the invention employ tubing for many of its parts, as has been specifically stated hereinabove, it is to be understood that structural parts of other than tubular shape may be employed if desired without departing from the spirit of this invention.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 459,292, which issued as Patent No. 2,854,673 on October 7, 1958.

It will also be understood that means other than the illustrated hydraulic lift may be used for raising and lowering the carriage; and that numerous variations in, and alterations of, the several structural parts of the apparatus may be made. All such changes, variations and alterations which do not involve invention are intended to be included within the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a horizontal U-shaped base having substantially parallel legs to extend under a bed and supporting Wheels under said legs, a carriage guide including parallel, spaced apart uprights extending vertically upward from said legs remote from their free ends, a carriage mounted for vertical movement on said uprights, anti-friction rollers on the carriage and engaging the uprights on the front and rear sides thereof, hydraulic means connected to said base and to the rear side of the carriage for moving the latter up and down along said uprights, and patient-handling means attached to said carriage and projecting therefrom above the legs of said base, said patient-handling means including a cantilever-like support having horizontal parallel columns attached to the carriage, parallel, spaced apart members disposed at substantially right angles to and connecting said horizontal members together between their ends, elongated rollers suspended from and substantially parallel to said connecting members, a tape connected at its ends to said rollers and adapted to support a patient lying crosswise thereof, and means to wind the tape simultaneously off one roller and onto the other roller and thereby to roll a patient on the tape when the carriage has been moved upwardly along said uprights far enough for the tape to hear at least part of the patients weight, said means including members connected to adjacent ends of said rollers, an endless member engaging said members and serving to rotate one of said members when the other member is rotated, and a crank connected to one of said members for rotating it and driving said endless member.

2. The combination of elements set forth in claim 1 in which the members connected to the adjacent ends of the rollers are sprockets and in which said endless member is a chain engaging said sprockets.

3. The combination of elements set forth in claim 1 in which the members connected to the adjacent ends of said rollers are attached to plugs which extend into the ends of the rollers and which have pin and slot engagement with said rollers.

4. The combination of elements set forth in claim 1 in which the cantilever-like support has vertical parallel columns attached to the carriage and in which vertical vertical columns.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Tingley Aug. 8, 1893 Black July 14, 1903 Giard Nov. 21, 1922 Ross Aug. 10, 1943 Farmer May 15, 1945 Farmer Apr. 6, 1948 Lockey Apr. 28, 1953 Schwartz June 22, 1954 

